Built in the 1770s by Wills Hill (Ireland’s largest landowner, first Marquess of Downshire and Secretary of the American Colonies), Hillsborough Castle is a splendid late Georgian ‘Big House’ with a fascinating history. Today it is ... more...
Designed and managed as a showcase for organic farming and sustainable tourism in Ireland, Rock Farm Slane is on the Slane Castle Estate and it was established by Carina and Alex Conyngham (Earl and Countess of Mount Charles) as an ecotourism destinati ... more...
A gem to seek out in the pretty riverside village of Ramelton, The Blue Goat is the creation of Lifford man Des Gallen - an artisan food devotee whose culinary claims to fame include cheffing at the late lamented Dublin destination Gruel, little sister ... more...
On a slip road at the top of the main street, just off the busy thoroughfare, siblings Elaine and JD Spearman's bakery and tea room is a charming old-style place to take a break for a bite to eat and 'freshly ground coffee or a grand cup of tea'.
It h ... more...
Many would make the trek to Dingle solely for the pleasure of tucking into one of the treats on offer at this cheerful blue and white fronted café down near the harbour.
The Murphy brothers, Kieran and Séan, have been making ice cream he ... more...
Both the house and garden at the Shelswell-White family’s 18th century mansion overlooking Bantry Bay are open to the public – and a visit to their Tearoom is highly recommended while you are there.
The Tearoom is set in three interconnect ... more...
Handy to the town but away from the through traffic, and conveniently located for visitors to the Old Midleton Distillery, Gordon and Alison Callinan’s café, foodstore and bakery has earned a following for its good traditional cooking and ... more...
Deli / Food Market / Internet/Phone Mail Order / Online Shop / Speciality Store
Ireland's premier cheesemongers, Sheridans, have partnered with Ardkeen - which says a lot about the special nature of this extraordinary store, with its absolute commitment to quality and community, and its foundation of very local artisan stocks ('Ta ... more...
Madeline McKeever, who is also involved in Irish Seed Savers, grows her own organic vegetable, herb and edible flower seeds on her West Cork farm.
Events are occasionally held on the farm, where they sometimes have their own Ardagh beef for sale.
Goo ... more...
Chocolate / Confectionery / Internet/Phone Mail Order / Online Shop / Producers Shop
Jamie and Beatrice O'Neill run this connoisseur chocolate company ChocOneill from their workshop in Dunbeggan, Aughnacliffe, which you can visit by appointment on weekdays (please phone in advance).
They specialise in single origin chocolate and use f ... more...
The small shop is beginning to enjoy a comeback and it all started a few years ago with shoppers giving a renewed vote of confidence to the local butcher. Here are just ten iconic businesses that are at the forefront of the shop local revolution.
Who would have thought, even a few years ago, that the small shop would be enjoying such a comeback. Discerning consumers are now giving independent retailers a resounding vote of confidence and these iconic speciality food businesses are just ten of the leaders in Ireland’s shop local revolution. Each one will reward a visit with quality, value, interesting local foods – and a memorable shopping experience.
A carefully selected hamper always makes a good Christmas present, but this year it’s different - hampers and gift boxes are not only a pleasure to give and to receive, but also a lifeline for artisan producers who have found so many of their routes to market closed off in recent months...
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With a rich historical and maritime legacy, East Cork has a truly unique variety of attractions to offer the visitor.
It is a haven for family holidays with a huge range of activities and attractions to keep the whole family entertained for hours.
In this extensive county, the towns and villages have their own distinctive character. In West Cork, their spirit is preserved in the vigour of the landscape with the handsome coastline where the light of the famous Fastnet Rock swings across tumbling ocean and spray-tossed headland. The county is a repository of the good things of life, a treasure chest of the finest farm produce, and the very best of seafood, brought to market by skilled specialists.
The town of Killarney is where the Ring of Kerry begins and ends for many, among the lakes and mountains where they are re-establishing the enormous white-tailed sea eagle, has long been a magnet for visitors. Across the purple mountains from Killarney, the lovely little town of Kenmare in South Kerry is both a gourmet focus, and another excellent touring centre. As one of the prettiest places in Ireland, Kenmare puts the emphasis on civic pride.
That Galway Bay coastline in Co. Clare is where The Burren, the fantastical North Clare moonscape of limestone which is home to so much unexpectedly exotic flora, comes plunging spectacularly towards the sea around the attractive village of Ballyvaughan.
Connemara, the Land of the Sea, where earth, rock and ocean intermix in one of Ireland's most extraordinary landscapes, and is now as ever a place of angling renown - you're very quickly into the high ground and moorland which sweep up to the Twelve Bens and other splendid peaks, wonderful mountains which enthusiasts would claim as the most beautiful in all Ireland. Beyond, to the south, the Aran Islands are a place apart.
Rivers often divide one county from another, but Fermanagh is divided - or linked if you prefer - throughout its length by the handsome waters of the River Erne, both river and lake. Southeast of the historic county town of Enniskillen, Upper Lough Erne is a maze of small waterways meandering their way into Fermanagh from the Erne'e source in County Cavan.
Co Cavan shares the 667 m peak of Cuilcagh with neighbouring Fermanagh. No ordinary mountain, this - it has underground streams which eventually become the headwaters of the lordly River Shannon, Ireland's longest river that passes south through many counties before exiting at the mighty estuary in Limerick. A magnet for tourism now with boating, fishing, cycling and walking-a-plenty.
Between the sheltered bays at the foot of the Glens of Antrim, the sea cliffs of the headlands soar with remarkable rock formations which, on the North Coast, provide the setting for the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the Giant's Causeway.
A selective companion guide to our famous broad-based online collection, the ‘glovebox bible’ includes a uniquely diverse range of Ireland's greatest places to ...